# Is an office pool legal? What it depends on

Whether an office pool is allowed depends on where you are and on whether money changes hands. A pool with no stake is a game; a pool with stakes is treated differently in each country and each US state, and many employers have their own rule. This page says what the question depends on; it is not legal advice.

## What the answer depends on

- Where the people are: countries and US states differ on small private wagers among people who know each other.
- Whether anyone takes a cut: a pool where the host or a site keeps a percentage is treated far more strictly almost everywhere.
- The employer: many handbooks address pools directly; a no-stakes pool is the usual way to stay inside them.
- The amounts: some places exempt small social pools, others do not distinguish.

## What this tool does and does not do

- Bikoosh Pools never collects, holds or pays out money and never sets stakes: it keeps the grid, the picks and the standings for people who already know each other. Whether a pool carries any stake, and whether that is allowed where you are, is the host's responsibility.
- Nothing on the board states a stake; a pool's notes may say what the group agreed, and the host owns that line.

## Quick answers

**Are office pools legal in the United States?**

It varies by state and by whether money is involved; a no-stakes pool is a game anywhere, a pool with stakes is a small private wager that some states exempt and others do not. Check your state and your employer's handbook; this is not legal advice.

**Does Bikoosh Pools take a cut or hold money?**

No. It never collects, holds or pays out money and never sets stakes; it keeps the grid, the picks and the standings.

Start a pool: https://bikoosh.com/pools/new
Bikoosh Pools is an independent tool, not affiliated with any league, team or broadcaster; team and event names are used to describe the game being followed. Bikoosh Pools never collects, holds or pays out money and never sets stakes: it keeps the grid, the picks and the standings for people who already know each other. Whether a pool carries any stake, and whether that is allowed where you are, is the host's responsibility.